Improvement in shirts



Shirt.

Patented March 2,187.5.

R F- G A E On G THE GRAPHIC C0.PHOTO rLlTILSQ 8141 PARK PLACEJLY.

UNITED STATES PA'I'ENT Grrron.

GEORGE R. EAGER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN SHIRTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 160,3 [2, dated March 2, 1875; application filed January 27,1875.

. To all whom "it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE It. EAGER, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shirts; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure l is a front view of a shirt having my improvement applied thereto; Fig. 2, a vertical section through the bosom, as taken through the dotted line 00 w of Fig. 1, the view being enlarged. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section of one of the fronts, taken through the center.

My invention relates to a new and improved mode of applying a reversible front or bosom to a shirt; and it consists in applying to an ordinary shirt one or more separate and distinct reversible fronts, in such manner that any one of them can be turned so as to expose its front or rear side, as may be desired, or be transposed, so as to expose the front or rear side of any of the other fronts.

The shirt may be made in the usual way, the improvement requiring no special or peculiar cut or make, whether made to open in front or at the back. In this case the shirt is represented as being made to open in front.

Each of the additional fronts or bosoms A A, which I use in connection with the ordinary shirt, may be made of any desired shape, and of a single or double thickness of cloth. As a rule, I prefer to make each of them of a shield for such as that represented in the drawin g ,an of two thicknesses of cloth, and each thickness of a different color, so that in reversing either of the fronts a differently-colored front will be presented to view; also, preferrin g to have different colors for each of the separate and distinct fronts. Each front is provided with button-holes a at each side, and so that when folded together they will coincide with each other, and with the corresponding button-holes of the other fronts. Thus made, they are each then attached at top and bottom by means of a cord or cords, c c, to the body proper B of the shirt. These cords c 0 may either be made in short sections, the one end of each of which is secured fast to the auxiliary front A, and the other to the shirt-body, as would be the mode Where the front consisted of a single thickness of cloth; or, where the front is made of two thicknesses of cloth, it may be made, as shown in Fig. 3, of a single cord, 0, passing entirely through the center between its two thicknesses of cloth, and then at tached at each end to the body B of the shirt, although, if desired, the upper end of the cord may be attached to the neck-band. In this case it is advisable to sew the cord to the auxiliary front A, where it passes out at each end.

The ends of the cord may, if desired, be attached directly to the outside of the body of the shirt; but such would give an unfinished appearance to it. I, for that reason, prefer to make a small hole, at, in the body of the shirt, near the top, and another, d, near the bottom of the front A, and work them in the manner of a button-hole, and then pass the ends of the cords through these, and stitch them fast to the inner side of the shirt; or each end of the cord may be provided with a loop and passed over a button attached to the shirt, as shown in Fig. 4., in which case any or all of the fronts may be removed at will, which for many reasonsas, for instance, for washing purposes--is very desirable. The cords of the different fronts are made to pass through the same holes (I, when sewed to the inside of the shirt. In attaching these cords to the shirt, suflicient length is left at each end to allow for the necessary twist in the reversing of the fronts. The body of the shirt is provided with two rows of buttons, 6, arranged to correspond with the holes a, cut in the fronts.

Each shirt may be supplied with as many fronts A as may be desired. Usually, however, not more than three will be attached where the cords are secured to the shirt by sewing; but where they are looped onto buttons, the purchasers may select as many extra fronts as they desire.

The management of these fronts is as follows: Where it is desired simply to reverse the outer front, supposing that three are used, both its sides are unbuttoned, leaving the middle and innermost front still buttoned. This done, the outer front is reversed by simply turning it outside in on the ends 0 c of the cord, as on a pivot, and again buttoning it, as before. If it is desired to turn or bring either side of the middle front to the front, it and the outer one are nnbuttoned and the middle one brought to the front, and the desired side exposed in the same Way as before, and both then buttoned again to the shirt 5 and so with the innermost one, only all three are first unbuttoned, and it is then brought to the front, and the desired side exposed, and the whole then buttoned as before.

By this mode of reversing the fronts the bosom of the wearer is always protected by the same number of thicknesses of cloth throughout the entire width of the fronts A a point of great importance to the wearer.

The edge of the fronts, whether made of one or two thicknesses of cloth, may, if desired, be bound with braid or other suitable binding material, either for ornamental purposes or to prevent raveling of the cloth, or both.

From what has been said, it will be apparent that many devices may be used for the reversing of the fronts A on this plan-as, for instance, a couple of swivel-hooks may be used, which, being hooked into suitable holes at the top and bottom of the fronts, would enable me to produce the same result.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A reversible shirtfront, A, made in the manner substantially as described, and provided with a pivotal cord or cords, 0 c, for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination of one or more reversible fronts, A, each provided with a pivotal cord or cords, 0 c, with a shirt, the whole being constructed and arranged substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE E. EAGER.

Witnesses:

Mosns S. TONER, ABNER J. TONER. 

